Effects of Levetiracetam on EEG Activity and Regularity of the Menstrual Cycle in Women Suffering from Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy itself and its treatment with anticonvulsants noticeably affect the reproductive function in women suffering from this disease. Levetiracetam (LEV) was shown to be highly effective for the reduction of clinical seizures and EEG epileptic activity. At the same time, its impact on the reproductive/endocrine functions is still unclear. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of LEV on the frequency of seizures and epilepsy-related EEG discharges, and also on the regularity of menstrual cycles (MCs) among women with epilepsy (WE) in Georgia. Seizures entirely disappeared in all examined WE with focal and bilateral tonico-clonic seizures (BTCSs), as well as in all cases with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) (P = 0.008). Six months after starting LEV monotherapy, a reduction in single and burst EEG epileptic discharges was observed in all eight women with JME (P = 0.031); weakening of burst discharges was also revealed in all patients with focal epilepsy (P = 0.046). Among examined WE with regular MCs, oligomenorrhea was observed in two cases from eight patients with focal epilepsy and in one case from seven women with JME treated with LEV. In general, LEV effectively suppresses paroxysmal EEG discharges and also improves clinical seizure control. There was no significant influence of LEV on the MC disturbances, while oligomenorrhea was found in some cases; thus, the respective effects on the MC were at least relatively moderate. More data are needed to establish the level of association between LEV therapy and reproductive endocrine disorders in WE.